Schedule
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Early
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00:00
Midnight News—21/08/2026
National and international news from BBC Radio 4.
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00:30
The Fire in the Mountain: Sicily, Etna and her People by Helena Attlee—Episode Four - Into the Woods
4/5 Life in the shadow of Mount Etna, Sicily’s most dangerous and alluring landmark.
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00:48
Shipping Forecast—21/08/2026
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
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01:00
Selection of BBC World Service Programmes—21/08/2026
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
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05:00
News Summary—21/08/2026
National and international news from BBC Radio 4.
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05:04
The Briefing Room—How do we prepare for a future water shortage?
England faces a five billion litre a day shortfall by 2055, so how does it fix it?
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05:34
Shipping Forecast—21/08/2026
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
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05:43
Prayer for the Day—Already enough
Spiritual reflection with Prof Alison Jack of Edinburgh University's School of Divinity.
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05:45
Farming Today—21/08/2026: Drought farmer, biodiversity on solar farm, choral work
Drought farmer, biodiversity on solar farm, sheep music.
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Morning
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06:00
Today—21/08/2026
News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
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09:00
Desert Island Discs—Chaka Khan, singer and songwriter
Chaka Khan, singer and songwriter, shares the soundtrack of her life with Lauren Laverne.
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10:00
Woman's Hour—GCSE resits, Hotel safety, Baby milk, Alisha Palmowski
Maths and English resits leave many in cycle of failure.
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11:00
The Food Programme—Fork and Knife
Jimi Famurewa explores how history has shaped the many different ways in which we eat.
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11:45
The Fire in the Mountain: Sicily, Etna and her People by Helena Attlee—Episode Five - Sicilian Emeralds
5/5 Life in the shadow of Mount Etna, Sicily’s most dangerous and alluring landmark.
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Afternoon
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12:00
News Summary—21/08/2026
The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
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12:04
Rare Earth—Volcano
Helen Czerski and Tom Heap investigate the environmental impact of volcanoes.
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12:57
Weather—21/08/2026
The latest weather forecast.
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13:00
World at One—Iran: President Trump promises "economic D-Day"
Trump threatens new sanctions on countries that continue to trade with Iran.
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13:45
Human Intelligence—Provocateurs, Elinor Ostrom
Elinor Ostrom challenged economics and reimagined shared human cooperation.
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14:00
The Archers—20/08/2026
Robert is pushed to the limit.
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14:15
Limelight—Central Intelligence: Series 3, Episode 7
One of the CIA’s most daring operations: the hunt for Che in the Bolivian jungle.
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14:45
Living on the Edge—Portrush
Lisa Abernethy shows Richard King around the RNLI station in Portrush.
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15:00
Gardeners' Question Time—From the Archive: Microclimate
Kathy Clugston delves into the GQT archive to explore the mysteries of microclimates.
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15:45
Short Works—Song of The Ocean by Natasha Carthew
A young Cornish lad named Jago dares to dream of a life beyond the small fishing village.
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16:00
Last Word—Zhu Rongji: The reformist Chinese Premier who ordered 100 coffins
Also, Professor Paul Veys, actress Hayden Panettiere and conservationist Rosemary Parslow.
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16:30
Sideways—The Stranger
The remarkable power in all of us to help complete strangers.
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17:00
PM—Prince Harry and claimants face legal bill of up to £35 million
A judge rules the group must pay the legal costs to the Daily Mail's publisher.
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Evening
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18:00
Six O'Clock News—Salmonella warning issued for undercooked eggs at restaurants
The Food Standards Agency says supermarket bought eggs are unaffected
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18:30
The People Have Spoken—Fed Up with War!
Ian Smith tasks Ashley Storrie, Harriet Kemsley & an Edinburgh audience to solve the news.
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19:00
The Archers—21/08/2026
There’s a surprising development for Lily.
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19:15
Add to Playlist—Nadine Shah, David Arnold and Charlotte Harding celebrate the BBC Proms
Nadine Shah, David Arnold and Charlotte Harding celebrate the BBC Proms.
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20:00
Any Questions?—Isabel Hardman, James Frith MP, Nigel Huddleston MP, Zoe Williams
Alex Forsyth presents political debate from The Medway Centre in Bakewell, Derbyshire.
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20:55
This Week in History—August 17th - August 23rd
Fascinating, surprising and eye-opening stories from the past, brought to life.
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21:00
Natalie Haynes Stands Up for the Classics—Series 12, Hypatia
4/7 The Greek mathematician and philosopher who vanished from history because she was a woman.
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21:30
Shadow World—Breakin' the Cycle, 4. A New Direction
4/6 Colin takes over directing, but the lines between gangland fact and fiction begin to blur.
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22:00
The World Tonight—High court allows rugby brain injury case to go on
Former rugby union and league players claim not enough was done to prevent brain injuries
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22:45
Mr Sidhu's Post Office by Amman Brar—Episode Five
5/10 Set in 2007, this is a heartwarming tale of community and change.
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23:00
Americast—Who is Trump aide Natalie Harp… and why are Democrats targeting her?
And, will Trump be forever dogged by his war with Iran?
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23:30
Illuminated—All Under One Magnetosphere
Discover the magic of ‘natural radio’ - a hidden electromagnetic soundscape.
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Late
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00:00
Midnight News—22/08/2026
National and international news from BBC Radio 4.
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00:30
The Fire in the Mountain: Sicily, Etna and her People by Helena Attlee—Episode Five - Sicilian Emeralds
5/5 Life in the shadow of Mount Etna, Sicily’s most dangerous and alluring landmark.
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00:48
Shipping Forecast—22/08/2026
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
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01:00
Selection of BBC World Service Programmes—22/08/2026
BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
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05:30
News Summary—22/08/2026
National and international news from BBC Radio 4.
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05:34
Shipping Forecast—22/08/2026
The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
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05:43
Prayer for the Day—How hot is too hot?
A spiritual comment and prayer with the Rev Mariama Ifode-Blease.
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05:45
Living on the Edge—Portrush
Lisa Abernethy shows Richard King around the RNLI station in Portrush.
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